Though they have recently stopped the rot and avoided becoming cut further adrift inside the League One relegation zone, Burton again failed to take three points when they hosted local rivals Derby County on Saturday.
Star striker Victor Adeboyejo – who had opened the scoring in the Brewers’ previous match against MK Dons – was called upon to net an equaliser in the closing stages, and his 12th goal of the season at least secured a 1-1 draw with a serious promotion contender.
The Staffordshire side still languish in 22nd place, though – both five points adrift of a position of safety in the standings and their upcoming opponents Accrington.
Since appointing Dino Maamria to replace Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink earlier this season, an improvement in form has slowly taken place, and Burton have secured progression to both the FA Cup third round and the EFL Trophy’s last 16.
Now undefeated in their last seven outings – including four straight league draws – Maamria’s men reached the knockout phase of the latter competition by topping a group also featuring Bradford City, Sheffield Wednesday and Leicester City’s Under-21s, before beating Tranmere Rovers on penalties in the second round.
Cutting short their ascent of the League One table, Saturday’s scheduled fixture at home to Portsmouth saw Accrington Stanley frustrated by the wintry weather, which resulted in an unplayable surface causing the match to be postponed.
Having been unable to tackle one of the division’s top sides at the Wham Stadium, John Coleman’s side remain in 19th place. Nonetheless, before taking the trip south on Tuesday, they are unbeaten in four games across all competitions.
That streak stands in sharp contrast to a run of just one point from seven outings during a miserable October, and the Lancashire club appear to be on the rise again.
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Progression to the FA Cup third round courtesy of wins over Crawley Town and Barnet has set up a tie with Boreham Wood in January, while beating Cambridge United and taking a point against Oxford United has stabilised a faltering league campaign.
After finishing second to Salford City in an EFL Trophy group from which Rochdale and Liverpool’s youngsters fell by the wayside, Accrington eliminated Grimsby Town in the first knockout round – with Tommy Leigh’s second-half penalty setting up this week’s tie at Burton.
Facing a tough trip to Barnsley on Saturday, Burton boss Dino Maamria may opt to make a number of changes to his starting XI, though top scorer Victor Adeboyejo could continue up front, having played from the start in the previous round.
